A 44-year-old Felixstowe man beat in his girlfriend in a frenzied attack, a court heard. Peter Anderson, 44, rained up to ten blows on his lover after they had had an argument on New Year's Eve.

A 44-year-old Felixstowe man beat in his girlfriend in a frenzied attack, a court heard.

Peter Anderson, 44, rained up to ten blows on his lover after they had had an argument on New Year's Eve.

Anderson, pleaded guilty to assaulting his girlfriend Julie Smith by beating at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court and was given a 12 month conditional discharge.

David Taylor, prosecuting, said that Anderson and his girlfriend had been drinking on New Year's Eve.

As the new year was brought in the couple started arguing. Ms Smith said in a statement that Anderson had hit her across the chest with his hand.

The couple then went home to The Downs, Felixstowe, where the argument -and the assault - continued.

Anderson, a long distance lorry driver, who was living at Timperley Road, Hadleigh, at the time of his court appearance, pinned his girlfriend to the bed where he hit her and punched her about ten times in what was described by Mr Taylor as a "frenzied attack". She then struggled free.

In a statement Ms Smith said that the blows had been painful, but she did not seek medical attention for the wounds. She also said she was concerned for her safety and that of her children especially as the initial assault was in front of her six-year-old daughter.

However on January 2, Ms Smith returned to the police station and said she was thinking about withdrawing the complaint. She eventually chose not to do this but in a note asked the magistrates to be lenient when sentencing her boyfriend.

Anderson, who represented himself in court, said: "I can humbly apologise, I deeply regret what I have done to her."

Chairman of the bench, David Brennan, gave Anderson a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered him to pay Ms Smith £100 compensation and £55 court costs.